# Bent vs. Straight



## TexasOutlaw (Sep 13, 2007)

Do y'all prefer a bent or straight pipe? If bent, full bent, 1/4, 3/4? Please explain why unless you really don't know why.


I have always preferred a bent pipe because they seem to hang better in my mouth. I could be off, but they seem to smoke cooler to me than straights. I admit they are a tad wetter, but I don't gurgle too much. And when I do, it doesn't bug me as much.

I don't believe I have a single straight in my better pipes. The only straights I have are from the economy Bjarnes that I experimented with as a younger adult; I don't remember what the ones I smoked as a kid were.


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## Kayak_Rat (Nov 28, 2005)

Totally depends on what I am doing while smoking. If I am setting just to enjoy a smoke, its prolly a straight. If I am going to be working with my hands, its usually a 3/4 bent. Most often me Peterson that MrC gave me way back when.


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## Alyks (Jun 2, 2007)

I like the bent ones. I've gotten some juice coming back on me with a couple of straight ones. Also the bent ones make me feel like I can solve a mystery or something.


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## snkbyt (Jun 22, 2006)

1/2 bend.................hangs better and no juice back flow p


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## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

snkbyt said:


> 1/2 bend.................hangs better and no juice back flow p


:tpd: 1/4 & 1/2 bents here. I've a couple of straights ... a drug store grabow and a Pete silver spigot .. just can't seem to get the feel for them & if I look up ... well .... I'm doomed with a mouthfull of icki-poo. Yes ... the technical term for this is ... icki-poo.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

I prefer the bent. Don't believe I have any full bent except maybe one. The others are all 1/2 - 1/4. Easier to light, more comfortable to hold, hang better and no (technically speaking) "icky-poo". I do have some straight clays but I can angle those well enough. Might get a straight someday......... but maybe not.


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## TexasOutlaw (Sep 13, 2007)

I forgot about the poopy goo, wait what was the technical name again? 
But yes you have to let it hand low. I was fixing to get me a (straight) Bulldog peterson.. maybe I should stick with my Rhodesian or bent squat bulls.

Has anyone noticed that in most pictures of people smoking straights, they hand straight out? They must be gargling with it.


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

TexasOutlaw said:


> I forgot about the poopy goo, wait what was the technical name again?
> But yes you have to let it hand low. I was fixing to get me a (straight) Bulldog peterson.. maybe I should stick with my Rhodesian or bent squat bulls.
> 
> Has anyone noticed that in most pictures of people smoking straights, they hand straight out? They must be gargling with it.


Yep. Must be well-dried non-aros


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## American Psycho-Analyst (Aug 14, 2007)

I prefer straight pipes. Why? Because they are easier to clean. Because they are easier to clean, they usually are more clean than my bent pipes. Because they are generally more clean than my bent pipes, they smoke better. Consequently, if I haven't already mentioned this, I prefer straight pipes. The vast preponderance of pipes that I own are straight pipes.


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

majority of my pipes are between 1/8 to 1/4 to 1/2 bent, only a couple that are straight.

some feel that straight pipes smoke better and are less apt to "gurgle".


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

I have more slight bents to only a couple of straights, but i can't really say i have a huge preference. Mostly the bents have a styling that catches my eye, but the straights i have smoke just fine and I never clench a pipe anyway


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## DubintheDam (Jun 5, 2007)

Bents are more comfortable, straights look super cool and dapper IMHO, and as I am more cool and dapper than comfortable, in general, I have more straights than bents. To me, my cool and stylish bents are my Larsen Zulu black sandblast and my Rattray's Rhodesian black sandblast, I guess you could say all my cool bents are African. As with music, as with pipes...LOL


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## PaulMac (Jul 15, 2003)

Out of my pipes, I think I have about 15 or so bents, mostly 1/2, and only 1 or 2 straight. I wanna add some straights but I do prefer the bents for most things


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## Arizona (Jul 19, 2007)

Mostly straight for me. I have a couple 1/4 bent, but prefer a straight pipe.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Gurgle-schmurgle - I can get all of 'em to drool in my mouth if the tobak is wet enuff or the pipe isn't built right.

I like the look of a bent pipe but prefer a straight for easy cleaning; except I like the gentle bent CS/Tinsky pipe cause it smokes so well; except I like my full bent Tinsky dublin because it smokes so well; except I like my straight Pete bulldog cause it smokes so well; except...

I like pipes that smoke well; leaning to any bent when needing hands free.


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

I hate to dig up an old thread but I feel you'd rather have me do this then create a new one.

So the difference between the two is personal preference?


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## Big T (Dec 8, 2006)

[OT] Loki said:


> I hate to dig up an old thread but I feel you'd rather have me do this then create a new one.
> 
> So the difference between the two is personal preference?


I'd say the quick answer is yes. Bents can hang a little bit more comfortably from your mouth, and straights can be a little easier to clean. But it's been my experience that one doesn't smoke better than the other. Others may disagree...


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

[OT] Loki said:


> I hate to dig up an old thread but I feel you'd rather have me do this then create a new one.


nah, just don't create 5 - 10 a day that already have topics out there, that was a little overboard.



> So the difference between the two is personal preference?


pretty much. as i said previously, some think/feel that straights smoke better/produce less gurgle. i haven't noticed that myself though, and prefer 1/2 or 1/4 bent pipes.


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## BostonMark (Sep 12, 2007)

I've got a straight and a 1/2 bent pipe, but i would LOVE to get a full bent pipe. always loved the look of those pipes, and I don't mind that it takes a bit longer to clean. its worth it.


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## SAjunidog (Oct 1, 2007)

How do you measure bentness anyways?

That said, I prefer bent pipes (more bent then whats usually labelled as 1/4, but if they're 1/2 or full I dunno) since I find they are way more comfortable in my mouth (totaly a personal thing), and I like being able to smoke hands-free. I also think that bents look way better than straights (again, totally a personal thing).


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

you measure bentness, as i perceive it, as being a fraction of a 90* angle.

there's straight.
there's 1/4 bent, which is almost straight.
1/2 bent is about a 45* angle.
3/4 bent is really bent.
full bent is pretty much a 90* angle from the direction of the mouthpiece.

i'm sure that makes no sense, and someone will post a photo of different degrees of bentness. :tu


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## SAjunidog (Oct 1, 2007)

IHT said:


> you measure bentness, as i perceive it, as being a fraction of a 90* angle.
> 
> there's straight.
> there's 1/4 bent, which is almost straight.
> ...


Ah, that makes sense. In that case my two favorite pipes are 1/2 and 3/4 bent. I like the angle on the 3/4 better (but its a crappier pipe for other reasons). The full bent pipes that I've seen (as you describe them) look pretty uncomfortable though.


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

SAjunidog said:


> The full bent pipes that I've seen (as you describe them) look pretty uncomfortable though.


i agree, that's why i don't own any.

i think i have one pipe that's close to 3/4 bent, and it's a Nording that i accidentally broke the damn stem off of. it was dedicated to Escudo and smoke it well.


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## Deriffe (Jul 27, 2004)

Kayak_Rat said:


> Totally depends on what I am doing while smoking. If I am setting just to enjoy a smoke, its prolly a straight. If I am going to be working with my hands, its usually a 3/4 bent. Most often me Peterson that MrC gave me way back when.


Same here. I always have a half or full bent when driving too.


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